Seeing him for the first time. Standing there in front of her made her lose her breath. For the first time she was looking at him and she was clean. There was nothing in the space between them but the distance. There was no ring. No Roy. No Katy. There was nothing but them. And it was like she was seeing him for the first time.

Stripped my senses. On the spot. I've never been defenseless. I can't even make sense of this. You speak and I don't hear a word.

Before tonight everything was impossible and far to hard. They both built things around themselves. He would make a crack about how horrible Roy was. He would make her feel stupid for staying. She would transfer the calls he would get from certain women to Creed or Kevin. He would ask her about it and she would brush it off. She would make him think he was stupid for even thinking he was worth that kind of jealousy. She would wear that ring and when things got too uncomfortable, she would run her thumb across it so he could see she belonged to someone else. He would flaunt Katy in front of her. He told her to pull on his tie. Pam did that once. The first time they had ever come close to kissing. After one of Michael’s meetings, she pulled him aside and told him if it weren’t for Roy. He remembered her trailing off, her fingers tracing the hem of his tie. Looking everywhere but his face. Leaning in. Smelling him. Another silence broken. Another chance not taken. He had told Katy it was just one of his kinks. When she did it for the first time he felt sick. When Pam saw it she did too. Now all there was between them was time, air and an inch of couch cushion. They were both finally defenseless.

What would happen if we kissed? Would your tongue slip past my lips?Would you run away, would you stay? Or would I melt into you? Mouth to mouth, lust to lust. Spontaneously combust.

In truth, despite how intense that first kiss was they had never really tasted each other. He was sure she would taste like seven-up. She was sure he would taste like scotch. If she had known for sure she would have stayed. She would have taken her ring off and chosen him. But his tongue never ventured past her lips. He had shown up for battle but hadn’t unsheathed his sword. His hesitancy made him seem unsure. It made her feel less than confident. She couldn’t throw away ten years for a maybe. He wanted all of her but he couldn’t give that of himself. She didn’t give him what he wanted and he left. But when he did, he left her with a maybe. That maybe was enough to cancel a wedding. Enough to take nothing from Roy when she left. Enough to be strong on her own. Enough to hope he might come back for her.

The room is spinning out of control. Act like you didn't notice. Brushed my hand.

Sitting here in her fancy new apartment, on her fancy new couch he finally realized that Roy was gone. He was no longer her present. Everything about this place was her. Right down to the mint green tea pot sitting in her one kitchen. She had built a life for herself here. He was proud. With his eyes slowly drifting from picture to picture, he realized how much of this work was her’s. He couldn’t help himself. He bridges the gap. He took her hand. He said goodbye to the Pam he knew before Stamford. He said hello to the one that was beside him.

Forbidden fruit. Ring on my finger. You're such a moral, moral man. You throw it away, no question. Will I pretend I'm innocent?

Roy was more than an inconvenience for Jim. Roy was a man who loved Pam the best he could. Sure it wasn’t the way she deserved but he loved her all the same. He had spent ten years building a life with Pam. Building memories and sharing tears. Jim knew Roy had lost his father and had cried on Pam’s shoulder. Jim knew he was a horrible person. Jim knew he was better than Roy and worse than him all at the same time. He was raised to do what was right. For Pam, he threw that away. What he had done was very wrong. Pam had promised herself to someone else. He had no right to kiss her like that. But when it came to her he could do the most horrible things. He could choose the wrong way but it was always for the right reason. He loves her and he will fight for her.

I struggle with myself again. Quickly the walls are crumbling. Don't know if I can turn away.

Holding Jim’s hand in her own was quickly becoming not enough. She drew herself up and over him. Pressing his legs between her thighs she kissed him. He tasted like toothpaste. She tasted like licorice tea.

They were mouth to mouth. Lust to lust. And they melt into each other.